Coyote Attack

    • Gold Top Dog

    Coyote Attack

    Yesterday started out like any normal sunday morning. I awoke happy and content to be snuggled in tight between my two favorite beasts Rory and Primo. I was especially cozy and laid petting holding them for a while before I got my butt up and out of bed.


    The night before J.R. and I awoke to to noise in the backyard, the motion light came on and we were surprised to see a coyote when we looked out the window. he was huge, he was as tall as Rory but considerably thinner. Anyhoo J.R chased him back over the fence and the rest of the night continued on without the motion light going back on. Before I let the dogs in the back yard that morning I checked the permimiter and the yard to make sure he was gone (Ya I know STUPID) but I wasnt going to let my dogs out without checking-It was clear.


    I let Rory and Primo out and 30 seconds later I heard it. The most awful scary roar errupted from my Primo, he sounded like a lion. Shaking, I ran to the side yard. The coyote saw me, Primo saw the coyote see me and wasted no time pinning him to the gground by his neck. Meanwhile, Rory, my lil spitfire was circling, barking, and taking chunks out of the coyote as Primo held him down. Thats when I made my first mistake........

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    I screamed at Rory and Primo to let go, as they did the coyote tried to run up the fence  But despite my dogs willingness to listen to me, their insticnt couldnt keep them from going after him. The coyote made it to the top of the fence countelss times only to be yanked back down by my dogs and pulled back to the ground.


    By this time J.R. had awoken and was outside, and the coyote ran to the other side of the yard and was trying to hide under the workbench and wheel barrow. Primo knew better then to go after him head first but my Rory's instinct to get the intruder out of our yard over came her and she rushed in, ultimatley getting the worst of her injuries as the coyotes long muzzle bit into her face......she didnt even let go.....she pulled him our from under the wheel barrow so Primo could finish. Rory, then finally came to me as Primo allowed the coyote to retreat over the fence. I dont know how he made it over the fence, back legs and entrials hanging out. I had a overwhelming mix of emotions......sad to see a beautiful creature ripped apart, yet proud of my dogs for protecting me and for working so well as a team.


    I thought about grabbing the gun but didnt want to leave the scene and didnt want to risk shooting one of my dogs.


    The dogs were taken to the vet and I just cant seem to stop shaking.


    RORY..... Her injuries are primarily to the head, muzzle, and face. She didn't require stitches but may have had her nasal cavity punctured that may require surgery but the vet wants to wait to see how well she heals up in the next few days. She can only chew soft food for now, it pains her to eat hard food and she wouldnt let the vet check the roof of her mouth so I hope all is ok in there.


    She did eat soft food this morning, I was so happy! Her breathing is ragged, her physical activiity is limited and she is one antibitoics, pain medication and antinflammatory's. My poor girl hardly wags her tail, is still very nervous and dosnt want to be touched for fear we might try to pet her face.


    However this morning she perked up when I asked her if she wanted to sleep on my bed, LOL Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket

    PRIMO.... He has three staples in his face, two under his eyes and one on his nose. His mental state is much better then Rory's.... and bounced back immeditatly patrolling the yard and had a very big appetite.


    Photobucket Photobucket Immediatley after the attack he looked like Braveheart, covered in blood and pissed off. I've never been so humbeled and in awe of a Pit Bull's power. How he could go from cuddling in bed to a warrior and right back again amazed me. I am so very proud of my babies....sad, shaken.....but very proud.


    This morning I covered my bed in doggy blankets so my lil beasts could rest comfortably.....they deserve it.

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    • Gold Top Dog

    My God, that's positively disgusting.  I am sickened.

    Your post title should have been "Coyote AttackED"

    • Gold Top Dog

    Can you call fisheries and wildlife and see if someone can make sure that coyote is out of his misery?  I'd have been after him myself just so HE didn't suffer.  Your dogs protected you, but I'm a farmer's daughter from way back and it's SO ingrained in me never to leave an animal suffering. 

    It's unfortunate -- it will leave a long-lasting mark on Rory, for sure.  Good pups.  What was the coyote after - any idea?

    • Gold Top Dog

    kelliope

    My God, that's positively disgusting.  I am sickened.

    Sickened by what?  Surely not the fact that the dogs went after the coyote ... because if they hadn't the coyote most likely would have gone after one of the dogs.  I doubt that I could ever count on any kind of protection from Max as it's just not in his temperment, but those dogs did what they were supposed to do IMO. And remember, the coyote was in the dogs yard, not the other way around.

    Joyce

    • Gold Top Dog

    Sickened by the fact that someone would let their dogs rip a lone coyote apart.  Most likely the coyote was hungry and looking for food, got into the yard and maybe couldn't get out easily (from the looks of the fence?).  A lone coyote does not take on 2 pit bulls.

    It's disgusting.  Good pups?  Please!  It's 2 pit bulls ripping apart a coyote that couldn't defend itself.  This whole thing makes me sick as does some of the thinking on this forum.

    This forum is not for me.  *content removed, rude*

    • Gold Top Dog

    Agreed.  Coyotes do not take on dogs.  They are scavengers and small animal predators.  They generally move in the other direction.

    BUT I keep my distance from the wildlife.

    • Gold Top Dog

    cat0
    Coyotes do not take on dogs.  They are scavengers and small animal predators.

    Wrong.  I coyote will take on anything it thinks it can defeat.  Therefore a toy/small dog is game as are cats.

     

    • Gold Top Dog

     

    Kelliope, what would you have suggested I do in this situation. The coyote was ready to come after me, I am 100lbs female. Please explain to me what should have been different? I am shaken, sick and worried. My dogs protected ME, which is natural instinct for ALL dogs regardless of the breed. I am shaken, scared adn crying as I write this adn you want to lash out at me and my dogs? When I later told this story to a neighbor who happens to be the ex-mayor of the city I live in he said last year a coyote KILLED his Beagle. Would you have been happier if that was the outcome? If my dogs were killed becasue if a intruder in my backyard whom we had already chased away once?

    I'll also have you know that my dogs are very well socialized and would have NOT attacked if it was a domestic dog, human or something else.

    I do not leave food or garbage in my backyard.

    The coyote did die, from what the police said.

    I'm so sad from the horrible responses I've gotten, I cant even focus here at work now. I guess if I didnt have pit bulls it wouldnt be so bad.......well actually I would prbably be the one hurt but I'm sure Kelliope would preffer that.

    • Gold Top Dog

    timsdat

    cat0
    Coyotes do not take on dogs.  They are scavengers and small animal predators.

    Wrong.  I coyote will take on anything it thinks it can defeat.  Therefore a toy/small dog is game as are cats.

     

    I should have been more careful in choosing my words.  A LONE coyote will not take on 2 pit bulls or dogs of that size.  The coyote had no chance. 

    • Gold Top Dog

    Oh please, Auralove.  The coyote would not have come after you.  Coyotes avoid people.  What I would have suggested is going back into your house, calling your dogs off and calling fish and game or animal control.

    Spare me the drama about pit bulls.  I have no issue with pit bulls.  I do have issue with what happened.

    • Gold Top Dog

    My God, what an absolutely scary experience! And yes, GOOD DOGS! For protecting you, their property, and for doing their job. Their faces look so sore! Poor babies. I hope they feel better soon.

    It's terribly unfortunate the coyote suffered, but this kind of thing happens sometimes. If it can be helped, then that's best, but sometimes it can't be helped. My dogs have hunted together in pack style to kill a rabbit.

    kelliope
    Sickened by the fact that someone would let their dogs rip a lone coyote apart. 

    Let? It sounds like the OP did all she could do to stop them, but sometimes a dog (any breed of dog) follows his own internal command instead of listening to the owner.

    kelliope
    This forum is not for me.

    I assure you that this forum doesn't think with one mind. But if you cannot stand hearing about dogs doing what dogs sometimes do, which includes protecting their homes and owners from wild animals, then perhaps you're right.   

    • Gold Top Dog

    kelliope

    Sickened by the fact that someone would let their dogs rip a lone coyote apart.  Most likely the coyote was hungry and looking for food, got into the yard and maybe couldn't get out easily (from the looks of the fence?).  A lone coyote does not take on 2 pit bulls.

    It's disgusting.  Good pups?  Please!  It's 2 pit bulls ripping apart a coyote that couldn't defend itself.  This whole thing makes me sick as does some of the thinking on this forum.

    This forum is not for me.  *previously removed content*

     

     

    Crude, but literate.

    Did you read her post? Did you comprehend what she wrote? SHE MADE EVERY ATTEMPT TO CALL HER DOGS OFF. She didn't "let" them do anything. She's saddened by what happened.

    As to whether or not a lone coyote will take on two pit bulls - no, not typically, but it can and does happen. The coyote sure didn't make for the road when the two dogs came out.  

    • Gold Top Dog

     Wow, what a scary story!  I hope your dogs don't suffer any lasting effects from the encounter.  I think you did everything you could have done.  If you'd tried to pull them off the coyote, it could have attacked you or them in its panic, I'm sure it was a frightening and chaotic situation, to say the least.  I remember hearing that Ozzie Osbourne had to fight off a coyote with his bare hands to pry one of his toy dogs from its mouth as it tried to escape the yard with it in its jaws, again over a fence. 

    • Gold Top Dog

    kelliope

    Oh please, Auralove.  The coyote would not have come after you.  Coyotes avoid people.  What I would have suggested is going back into your house, calling your dogs off and calling fish and game or animal control.

    Spare me the drama about pit bulls.  I have no issue with pit bulls.  I do have issue with what happened.

     

    So Kelliope, as you sit in the safety of your home, tapety-tap on the computer keyboard, what do you think she should have done?  I don't think dogs can be called off once prey drive kicks in, so she *could* have reached in there with her hands and tried to pull her dogs off- probably being bitten by her own dogs and the coyote.

    Sometimes bad things happen. It's unfortunate that it did but the coyote was bold enough to jump a fence looking for EASY PREY probably because it's done exactly the same thing before, eating cats and small dogs.

    • Gold Top Dog

    kelliope

     Coyotes avoid people.

     

    Not rabid ones.  And a coyote or any wild animal for that matter that returns OVER A FENCE to a yard where there is no food after being chased off by a human is clearly not in its right mind and dangerous.